Interieur van de Sint-Vincentiuskerk te Velp 1911

This photograph, Interieur van de Sint-Vincentiuskerk te Velp, was taken anonymously in 1911. Look at the way the church is captured, it's all about process: the long exposure and the sepia tone gives the image a moody, meditative quality. There's a quietness to this interior, a sense of stillness, like time is passing slowly in this place. The lamps hanging from the ceiling cast soft light, but also dominate the frame, slightly blurring the scene. I'm drawn to how the photograph invites you to see the church not just as a space, but as a sensory experience. The sepia tone, gives everything a sort of antique feel, like a memory fading at the edges. The blurriness creates a soft-focus effect, like a dream. It reminds me a bit of the work of artists like Gerhard Richter, who smudge their paintings to create a similar sense of distance and impermanence. Art is just a conversation across time, isn't it? This church might still be standing, or it might be gone. This photograph is all that remains.